AAP holds 'Jan Aakrosh' rally against J&K targeted killings

new delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday claimed Kashmiri Pandits are being forced to leave the Valley due to the recent spurt in targeted killings of minorities and demanded the Centre put forth an action plan to stop such incidents.

Addressing the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) 'Jan Aakrosh' rally at Jantar Mantar here, he said this shows that the BJP cannot handle Kashmir and only knows how to do dirty politics.

He also hit out at Pakistan, accusing it of supporting terror activities in Kashmir. Braving the heat, hundreds of protesters, including women and children, gathered here to protest against the killings of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley.

"I want to tell Pakistan to stop its petty tactics. Kashmir was ours and will always be a part of India... if India decides, then Pakistan will not exist," he said at the rally.

The spate of targeted killings in Kashmir started in May this year which included that of Rahul Bhat, a clerk, who was shot dead inside the tehsildar's office in Chadoora tehsil of Budgam district.

Of the eight targeted killings since May 1, three victims were off-duty policemen and five were civilians. Kejriwal said he will seek time from Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the issue and know the Centre's plan to stop the killings in Kashmir. He said Kashmiri Pandits are being forced to leave their homes, a repeat of what happened in the 1990s. Whenever the BJP is in power in Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmiri Pandits are forced to leave the Valley, he alleged.

"This shows the BJP cannot handle Kashmir and it only knows how to do dirty politics. Please do not do politics over Kashmir. "The BJP government has failed to provide security to Kashmiri Pandits. They do not have any plan but just hold meetings. Many meetings were held on the issue and now everyone wants to know the action plan," he said.

Carrying placards that read "India will not tolerate the killings of Kashmiri Pandits", the protesters raised "Bharat Mata ki Jai" slogans and demanded justice for the Kashmiri Pandits being targeted by terrorists.

"Whenever a killing takes place in Kashmir, it is said that the Union home minister is holding a high-level meeting. But where is the action plan? What is the plan? Kashmir wants an action plan. Yesterday, I saw that a three-hour-long high-level meeting was held. There have been too many meetings. Please take some action on the ground. People are dying," Kejriwal added.

The AAP national convener demanded the Centre make public its plan to deal with the situation in the Valley.

"The Centre should tell the public about its plan to tackle the situation in Kashmir, cancel the bond signed with Kashmiri Pandits that says they cannot work outside Kashmir, fulfil all their demands and provide them security," he said.

Kejriwal claimed around 4,500 Kashmiri Pandits were rehabilitated and given jobs in the Valley under the PM's relief plan, but they were also made to sign a bond that they cannot work outside Kashmir.

"The bond was that you (Kashmiri Pandits) will be sacked if you ask to be transferred out of Kashmir. You will have to work in Kashmir. Kashmiri Pandits are demanding that this bond be cancelled... the entire nation wants this bond to be cancelled. Kashmiri Pandits are not bonded labourers, they are free to work wherever they want," he said.

Scores of Kashmiri Pandits, who were employed under the Prime Minister's package in 2012, have been staging protests threatening mass exodus since the killing of Rahul Bhat on May 12.

Several AAP leaders, including Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Environment Minister Gopal Rai, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and party MLAs, attended the Jan Aakrosh rally and raised anti-BJP slogans.

Sisodia came down heavily on the BJP for "destroying democracy and freedom in Kashmir and forsaking peace in the Valley for politics.